* Condemns attacks on journalists in Gaza, other parts of the world
* Demands prosecution of Israel, accomplices over rights violations
Muslim News Nigeria has called on global media practitioners to embrace responsible journalism that promotes peace, corrects misconceptions about Islam, and protects journalists working in conflict zones, especially in Gaza and Middle East, where media workers continue to operate under extreme danger amid ongoing hostilities and widespread insecurity.
The faith-based media outlet said doing so would strengthen press freedom, foster journalist safety, reduce misinformation, and stimulate a more peaceful and just global society, in line with the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, “Shaping a Future at Peace.”
In a press statement issued on Sunday by its Publisher, Rasheed Abubakar, the organisation said this year’s theme, as declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), places a direct responsibility on the media to ensure that press freedom is used as a tool for peacebuilding rather than division.
Abubakar said “Shaping a Future at Peace” means journalism must go beyond the freedom to report and embrace the responsibility to verify, contextualise, and avoid narratives that fuel hatred or misunderstanding among peoples, races, tribes and religious groups.
He underscored the central role the media play in shaping public perception, noting that unbalanced reportage targeting specific regions, faiths, and ethnic groups, including Islam and its adherents, especially Arabs and Muslims from Northern Nigeria, has deepened divisions and undermined efforts toward peaceful coexistence.
The organisation recalled that it has been marking World Press Freedom Day every May 3 since 2014, a tradition that began when its Publisher served as Coordinator of Media961, a media monitoring initiative of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria in Lagos State.
Since then, he said, the organisation has consistently issued statements addressing what it described as persistent negative reportage of Islam and Muslims, as well as the marginalisation of Muslim minorities in Nigeria and global media narrative.
“This year’s advocacy remains consistent with our long standing position. We continue to call for the protection of journalists irrespective of religion, race, or nationality in the spirit of equity, justice, and professional safety,” he said.
Rising Islamophobic narratives and media responsibility
Abubakar expressed concern over what he described as growing Islamophobic rhetoric in global political and media spaces, citing remarks made in 2016 by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said: “I think Islam hates us.”
He also referenced recent statements attributed to U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, which were reported in some media discussions of heightened U.S.–Iran tensions, where concerns were raised about framing Islam in adversarial terms.
The publisher said such statements, when widely circulated without critical interrogation, contribute to the misrepresentation of Islam as inherently violent, despite its core teachings rooted in peace, justice, and coexistence.
He stressed that Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’, meaning peace, adding that mischaracterising the religion due to the misdeeds of individuals or groups operating under foreign influence and stolen identities undermines efforts toward global harmony.
Journalists safety crisis in Gaza and beyond
The publisher strongly condemned killing and attacks on journalists globally, particularly in Gaza, Palestine, where media workers continue to operate under extreme danger.
Citing figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, Abubakar said more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 as a result of the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza.
He also noted that nearly 300 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict, according to Shireen.ps, a monitoring platform named after veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2022.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) further reported that 129 journalists and media workers were killed globally in 2025 alone, the highest figure since it began documenting such cases in 1992. CPJ added that Israel was responsible for more than two thirds of those deaths.
The organisation also stated that over 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, underscoring what it described as one of the most dangerous environments in the world for media professionals.
Similarly, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its December 2025 report that Gaza had become a critical hotspot for journalist fatalities, with nearly half of global media worker deaths linked to Israeli military operations.
Abubakar said the continued killing of journalists without accountability reflects a deepening crisis of impunity. “In many cases, condemnations are issued but justice is not served. This selective accountability weakens the universal principle of press freedom,” he said.
He further noted that while journalists face threats globally, solidarity among media professionals is often inconsistent, including in Nigeria, where many are unaware of the harsh conditions under which colleagues in conflict zones operate.
Call for accountability and global media reform
He called on governments, media organisations, and international bodies to ensure accountability for attacks on journalists, regardless of where they occur, and to uphold zero tolerance for impunity.
“For umpteen times, we condemn the attacks on and killing of journalists in Palestine, Nigeria and across the world. There must be no special treatment for perpetrators, especially in conflict zones. Israel and all other perpetrators of attacks against journalists must be brought to justice,” he said.
He concluded that the media has a responsibility not only to inform but also to build understanding, adding that only through balanced and ethical journalism can the world achieve lasting peace.
E-Signed:
Rasheed Abubakar,
Publisher, Muslim News Nigeria
Email: muslimnewsng@gmail.com
+ 2348052404597
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